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I had the pleasure of attending a VIP Preview Party at the new Doma Kitchen location in Manhattan Village Mall Tuesday evening.

Owners Angie Corrente and Stan Mayzalis and Chef Kristina Miksyte invited local media and friends to stop by their new digs and indulge in Eastern European-inspired cuisine that included new menu items and old favorites.

The new location is adjacent to the former movie theater. Angie and Stan gutted the space and repurposed wood and other materials from their prior location in Redondo Beach. It’s a sizable, airy room with a high ceiling and an L-shaped outdoor patio. (Read More)

I recently attended the preview opening of MIXT Studio Work+Shop located on Pacific Coast Highway in the former Jacobs Surfboards shop.

MIXT Studio is the brainchild of Marcie Carson – a former stylist for Madonna and branding maven – who spent 18 years heading up a design firm that helped big companies like Mattel, Dole, USC and The Getty build their brands.

Three years ago she decided to use her expertise to create her own line of products, and MIXT Studio was launched.
(Read More)

South Bay Galleria has teamed up with the Special Olympics and the City of Redondo Beach, which is a designated host town for athletes in the 2015 Special Olympics, to provide an exciting day of shopping for international Special Olympic athletes on July 22 from noon until 3:00pm. More than 100 athletes and their coaches from the 2015 Special Olympics World Games teams of Benin, Haiti and Suriname will attend this special event, according to Sherilyn Haddon, Marketing Manager at South Bay Galleria. (Read More)

Doma Kitchen, once a local favorite in Redondo Beach with menu items such as signature Belgian waffles and Eastern European-inspired dishes including homemade Borscht, Lagman and Lamb Plov, have traded in their casual beach vibe digs for a more polished space in Manhattan Beach. Doors are set to officially open Friday, July 3 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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There is never a shortage of fun and interesting things to do in the South Bay. Take this past Thursday, for instance…..

Thursday morning on The South Bay Show, our guest was Holly Socrates of the new Holly Socrates Gallery in El Segundo. The topic was the inaugural El Segundo Art Walk taking place that evening, beginning with a ribbon cutting at her gallery at 4 p.m.

Not knowing the particulars of the event, I invited Holly on the show to share how she came to open an art gallery in El Segundo and spearhead an art walk.
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South Bay by Jackie.com has partnered with Walk Through Productions to create videos of all the fabulous events and activities taking place throughout the South Bay. Now, instead of just reading about them, you can see what they’re all about. The King Harbor Sea Fair was our first project.

ArcLight Cinemas in El Segundo has become a staple of the Beach Cities community and now the theater is offering moviegoers an even better way to enjoy their cinema experience.

Effective immediately, ArcLight Beach Cities has a new liquor license allowing guests to take their beer, wine or cocktail into any theater. It is no longer reserved for select 21+ screenings only!
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Jeffrey Kreshek and Bob Baker led our group on a tour of the project which is scheduled to open in July 2015. The Point is conveniently located at the crossroads of Rosecrans Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard in El Segundo and is designed to become the South Bay’s ‘Living Room’.

The Point will house a unique blend of in-demand retailers, popular eateries, an exclusive fitness studio and expansive plaza, and retailers are vying for the few remaining spaces. (Read More)

I attended the annual Southbay Magazine’s Girl’s Night Out at the Manhattan Beach Civic Center on Friday, May 8. We decided to try something a little different this time, so instead of a written description of the event, here’s a quick video recap.

I recently attended a cooking demonstration at Custom Design & Construction in El Segundo. This was the first in what promises to be an exciting series.

Everything about this event appealed to me. I applaud the idea of a local company – in this case, a kitchen and bath design and construction business – thinking outside the box and hosting a cooking demonstration in one of their fully functioning kitchens.

The intimate space comfortably seats about 50 people and provides a good view of the presentation. (Read More)

Del Amo Fashion Center will tout a new nearly 2,000-car parking structure complete with quick-charge electric vehicle charging stations, car counters and direct access to the new Nordstrom when it debuts at the center this October. The parking updates are part of the ongoing transformation of South Bay’s premier retail destination.

“Our goal is to continue to offer updated amenities that make shopping at Del Amo Fashion Center even more convenient and enjoyable for our shoppers,” said Lindsay Hermance, director of marketing and business development at Del Amo Fashion Center. “We’re excited about all the enhancements taking place, and can’t wait to unveil our new look and feel this Fall.”(Read More)

Riviera Village is still experiencing some changes to the landscape since the last time I wrote an update back in January.

Another long-time favorite retailer has closed its doors. Inge’s, A Fashion Discovery, located at 302 Avenue I, closed in March after almost thirty years in the Village. Proprietor Inge Jones decided to retire due to health issues after she fractured her femur. She will continue to work with her customers as a personal stylist, so all is not lost! (Read More)

Ian Blackburn, founder of WineLA, partnered with Shade Hotel to host the first annual Stars of Napa Valley wine event on Thursday, March 26 and succeeded in raising over $22,000 for Manhattan Beach Middle School!

Forty notable wineries participated in the festivities with hundreds of wine enthusiasts in attendance to celebrate Napa Valley’s most coveted wines.

Richstone Family Center’s 20 Annual Affair of the Heart event, My Big Fat Greek Gala, took place at Audi Pacific on Saturday, March 21 and attracted a well-heeled crowd of individuals including local philanthropists, socialites and celebrities.

Proceeds from the event are critical in enabling Richstone to provide much needed services to vulnerable at-risk and abused children and families in our local communities. (Read More)

The World Games Special Olympics are coming to LA in July of this summer. LA2015 is the largest event to come to LA since the 1984 Olympics.

Several South Bay cities are Host Towns. This means they have the special privilege of receiving and hosting 100 delegates each, consisting of athletes and coaches, for three days before the opening ceremonies. (Read More)

King Harbor Brewery’s Pi(e) Day took place Saturday, March 14 attracting a well-heeled crowd of individuals including beer influencers, local socialites, pie fans, beer industry VIPS and of course, beer lovers.

Pi Bake Shop supplied six Chocolate Mouse Pies made with King Harbors’ ‘The Swirly’, a Abel Brown Ale brewed with Coca Nibs for contestants to get sloppy with, and they did!

Members of the business community and the general public can now learn about what’s happening at the Redondo Beach Chamber and in the community through the Redondo Beach Chamber’s upcoming internet radio show, The South Bay Show: Redondo Beach – More to Sea!

The South Bay Show is an internet radio program hosted by Joe Terry and Jackie Balestra on Blog Talk Radio.

My best friend Julie has been visiting from the frigid East Coast the last few days.

I love it when my far-flung family and friends come to town and I particularly enjoy sharing with them my favorite South Bay attractions. It’s also a great opportunity to discover new ones during our travels.

While our weather isn’t anywhere near as awful as it is in other parts of the country, it didn’t cooperate enough for us to take a Strand cruise – every time we geared up, it looked like it was about to pour! – but that didn’t stop us from having a rockin’ good time!

The City of Torrance will conduct a briefing regarding the recent ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion on Tuesday, February 24 at the beginning of the regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Staff will present a review of the incident based on the most current information available from ExxonMobil, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) better known as Cal/OHSA, South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), and City operations. (Read More)

You can live in the South Bay your entire life and still be completely unaware of some very special places located right under your nose.

My husband grew up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and had never been to the South Coast Botanic Garden, the Jewel of the Peninsula. I thought, for sure, he must have visited during a school field trip, but no. I’ve lived here for 25+ years and hadn’t been there either.

We rectified this glaring omission over the weekend when we attended the Sweetheart’s Stroll in the Garden on Valentine’s Day.
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For the sixteenth straight year, Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, is proud to support deserving students in the Los Angeles and Ventura County communities through the Simon Youth Scholarship Program.

This May, one student from every community that is home to a Simon property is eligible to receive a one-time scholarship award up to $1,500.
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King Harbor Boating Foundation’s Waterfront Education (WE) is an engaging and interactive form of education which fosters discovery learning utilizing local waters as nature’s classroom.

Los Angeles Maritime Institute’s TopSail Youth Program uses hands-on experiences at sea to provide an array of social, education and leadership development opportunities to middle school and high school students throughout the greater Los Angeles area aboard the tall ships, Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson.

Lou’s on the Hill, located on Hawthorne Boulevard where Torrance meets Rolling Hills Estates at the base of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, attracted capacity crowds last Thursday evening for the Grand Opening.

Located in historic Downtown Torrance, Destination: Art is a studio/gallery where everyone is invited to experience art in person, in progress, in community.

Conceived by local artist, Margaret Lindsey, Destination: Art is a venue for South Bay artists to create artwork in a collaborative environment, hold lectures, workshops and demonstrations and interface with the public in an ongoing conversation about art.

Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, the area’s only luxury boutique hotel, is starting off the New Year with a healthy boost.

Highly dedicated to wellness and exercise, the hotel will offer a variety of wellness-inspired packages and events throughout 2015 – from complimentary yoga on its rooftop Skydeck, to beach cruisers available at no additional cost for guests who want to cruise down The Strand, Shade offers a wide variety of activities to choose from.

“With the holidays just behind us, we want to offer guests a fresh way to kick start the New Year,” said Shade Hotel’s General Manager, Shaunna McKelvey.
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I recently spent the afternoon walking all over Riviera Village handing out flyers for the Dancing with the South Bay Stars IV performance to shop owners to post in their windows. (I’m sure you’ve all heard that I’m competing in the event this year and I’m trying to drum up votes. BTW, you can vote for me here: http://www.torrancearts.org/dancing-with-the-south-bay-stars-iv/.)

Along the way, I took note of several changes in the Village this New Year.
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During the week of January 12 to January 16, 2015, the City of Manhattan Beach, in collaboration with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), held a five-day Advisory Panel comprised of various land use experts to engage community stakeholders and evaluate the Downtown area.

The purpose of the engagement process was to ensure the Downtown area maintains and enhances its unique, quaint character and encourages business success.
(Read More)

Harmony Works, an iconic gift shop and gallery located in Riviera Village for over 20 years, is closing its doors.

Michael Morales, co-owner with his wife Royce, suffered a massive stroke on November 24 and is unable to work.

“It was a tough decision to make,” explains Royce Morales, “but I feel strongly that I need to devote my time to take care of my husband who needs 24 hour supervision. He’s slowly getting better, but it’s a long road ahead.” (Read More)

As the year comes to a close, Del Amo Fashion Center is celebrating a season of change and preparing for exciting new retailers as part of the ongoing transformation of South Bay’s premier retail destination.

With 2014, Del Amo Fashion Center welcomed the construction of a brand new Patio Cafes garden-inspired dining pavilion in the heart of the shopping center, relocated stores from the north section of the center to make way for the creation of a new state of the art two-level mall and a new Nordstrom, welcomed new retailers and prototype stores, and began construction on a four-level parking deck along Fashion Way. Macy’s also consolidated three locations at Del Amo Fashion Center into two stores to make for a more convenient trip for Macy’s loyal shoppers.
(Read More)

Pacifica Hotels, the largest owner and operator of boutique hotels along the Pacific Coast, announced today the opening of The Redondo Beach Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA after completing a $13 million renovation. The hotel, previously named Sunrise Hotel, closed at the beginning of 2014.

The team at Baleen never rest on their laurels. They mix up dining options often enough to keep things fresh; from summer BBQs held on the lower level outdoor lounge and varied live entertainment, to Chef Crespin’s expert treatment of seasonal ingredients.

As the heart of our Community, Downtown is a key component of what makes Manhattan Beach such a desirable place to live, visit and conduct business. The Downtown is a vibrant and charming destination for shopping, dining, and services. The City will be working with a consultant team, the community, and stakeholders to develop a Downtown Vision and Plan to maintain and enhance this quaint character, as well as encourage business success. (Read More)

Doma Kitchen, a local favorite restaurant in the South Bay with menu items such as fresh baked pastries, signature Belgian waffles and European-inspired dishes including homemade Borscht, Lagman and Lamb Plov are teaming up with another local favorite, Two Guns Espresso.

The owners of both Doma Kitchen and Two Guns Espresso are introducing the South Bay to a Pop Up Dinner Series which will take place each Friday and Saturday evening throughout the month of November.

I just received this press release and want to share it with you. I’m particularly excited about the new restaurants!

Federal Realty Investment Trust, the developers of The Point, the South Bay’s newest shopping, dining and lifestyle destination announced today the first merchants who are preparing to open their doors.

The Point, located at the desirable crossroads of Rosecrans Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard in El Segundo, will offer the South Bay a mix of popular eateries, in-demand retailers and an exclusive fitness studio.

The evening began with a stand-up routine by award-winning comedienne Kathy Buckley. I arrived late and missed her intro and while I knew it was a benefit for deaf children, I didn’t put two and two together. Seriously, I had no idea she was deaf….I assumed she was from New York! (Read More)

Stand up paddle boarding – chances are, if you’ve spent any time near an ocean, lake, river, dock, marina, pier or beach in the last few years, you’ve caught a glimpse of people engaging in this relatively new water sport.

Always referred to as SUP, everyone I know has been raving about it and suggesting (insisting, really) that I give it a try. I’d added it to my list of ‘things to do’ several months ago but just haven’t had time to book a lesson.

In late June, I received an email from Jeremy at Olympus Board Shop in Torrance. I first met Jeremy at the King Harbor Boat Parade last year where he was involved in organizing the paddleboard segment of the parade. At the time, he invited me to take a lesson. Now he was following up and wanted to know when I would be available to get on the water. (Read More)

I recently attended Nuit Blanche, an evening of shopping, cocktails and gourmet bites at the Trina Turk boutique in Manhattan Beach.

The event is one in a series of fundraisers happening throughout the South Bay to promote White Light White Night (WLWN), the annual gala fundraising event for Walk With Sally (WWS) taking place Saturday, July 19.

Walk With Sally is a locally based, non-profit foundation dedicated to providing mentoring support programs to children of parents or siblings with cancer. (Read More)

The sold-out benefit was held Saturday, July 27 at the MBS Media Campus movie lot and sound stage in Manhattan Beach.

Walk With Sally Co-Founder, Nick Arquette, successfully brought together a cadre of enthusiastic volunteers, concerned community members, local businesses and generous sponsors to create an evening of light, love and laughter.

Bridges to Italy and the Academy of Foreign Languages host a series of mixers throughout the South Bay intended to bring together members of the local Italian community and Italophiles to share the many wonderful aspects of Italian culture such as language, food, fashion and design.

These monthly mixers are open to the general public but once in a rare while, they will host a limited, invitation-only event at a private home.

On April 30, the group assembled in Redondo Beach for an Evening of Traditional Italian Cuisine prepared by Chef Michelangelo Glionna of Parma, Italy. (Read More)

Chef Garasic oversees menu development and execution for Shade Hotel’s popular zinc@shade craft kitchen & modern lounge, in addition to on-site meetings, weddings and special events. His focus is on fresh, ‘farm-to-table’ cuisine which is infused with his passion for Mexican, French and Italian cuisines.

I recently had the pleasure of touring the Automobile Driving Museum (ADM) in El Segundo.

Now, I’m not what you’d call a ‘car person’.

I’m not mechanically inclined and don’t know a thing about engines or how they work. I couldn’t tell a crankshaft from a muffler or a piston from a spark plug. My car has a turbo engine and I have no idea what that means…. but I’m pretty sure ABS is a good thing, right? (Read More)

Long recognized for impeccable service, incomparable cuisine and world class hospitality, Chez Melange has been at the forefront of the flourishing South Bay food scene for over a quarter century.

Always in the vanguard of emerging dining trends, co-owners Michael Franks and Robert Bell have established an affable environment for local chefs, growers and foodies to experiment and expand their gastronomic repertoire.

My friend Dawn and I made plans to get together for dinner a few months ago to catch up with each other. We no longer workout together at the gym every morning because (drum roll, please) she’s pregnant. Pregnant and …..pink. Very, very pink. Evidently, pregnancy wasn’t enough of a life transformation. She colored her hair pink soon after discovering she was with child. Don’t ask me why.

She’s been a bit down lately. You would be too, having to go through the hot summer months feeling like an overstuffed dumpling. (Read More)

We’ve all experienced that terrifying sensation of helplessness in one situation or another. As a woman, I‘ve always felt particularly vulnerable since, physically speaking, I’m the equivalent of veal and when faced with a sketchy situation, the hair on the back of my neck stands up and a loop of, “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER!” plays in my head. (Read More)

Wouldn’t we all love to dance like the Stars? Well, the good ones, at least.

My friend Dawn must have had stars in her eyes when she asked (ordered) me to enroll in a ballroom dance class with her.

She cajoled (threatened) her husband into taking dance lessons last year and when he declined (refused) to take part this time around, she requested (demanded) I join her – no doubt relying on my sense of noblesse oblige – and considering her indispensible support on my Bloody Mary expedition earlier this year, how could I say no? (Read More)

It cannot be sufficiently emphasized how vital it is to have a well-rounded cocktail repertoire.

Polite society demands an appropriate beverage for every occasion: sake with sushi, vino with Italian, champagne for celebrations, ice cold beer at picnics, assorted martinis at cocktail parties, gin and tonic on safari and one wouldn’t dream of drinking anything but a Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby. (Read More)

Gardena Farmer's Market

Downtown Torrance Antique Street Faire

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The downtown Torrance Antique Street Faire is held on the 4th Sunday of every month in historic downtown Torrance. Antique appraisals are done by Dave Brownlee and crew and music is provided by DJ Ozzie. Admission and parking is Free and pets are welcome!